A miner trapped after a March 25 dam breach flooded the El Rosario mine in Sinaloa was rescued after nearly 13 days underground. Francisco Zapata Nájera was located by divers but could not be reached for 21 hours because sections of the mine remained heavily flooded. Of 25 miners on site, 21 escaped immediately; another survivor was recovered from 985 feet five days after the accident. Zapata was stabilized and airlifted to a Mazatlán hospital for specialist treatment; officials say one miner has been found dead and one remains missing.
Miner Rescued After Nearly 13 Days Trapped in Flooded El Rosario Mine
Rescue teams transport miner Francisco Zapata Najera after rescuing him during a search for four miners following a collapse at a mine in El Rosario, Sinaloa, Mexico, on April 8, 2026.(Reuters)
A miner in Mexico has been rescued in what officials called an "astonishing" operation after spending almost 13 days trapped underground. A structural failure caused a dam breach that flooded the El Rosario mine in the northern state of Sinaloa on March 25, trapping Francisco Zapata Nájera and three co-workers.
Rescue teams transport miner Francisco Zapata Najera on a stretcher following his rescue on April 8, 2026.
Rescue Timeline
Zapata Nájera was located by divers on Tuesday, but teams could not reach him through heavily inundated sections of the mine for another 21 hours due to dangerous, water-filled passages. Of the 25 miners who were working at the time of the breach, 21 escaped immediately. Five days after the accident, rescuers recovered one survivor from a depth of 985 feet.
Rescue teams are seen leaving the El Rosario mine on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
"The exceptional members of the Mexican Army's Emergency Response Battalion, along with the faith and resilience of a miner, made this astonishing rescue possible after 13 days," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on X. "I'm certain that all Mexicans, every one of us, hold you in our hearts."
Aftermath and Care
Footage released on Wednesday shows a crowd applauding as Zapata Nájera was brought out into daylight for the first time since the flooding. Officials said his condition was stabilized and he was airlifted by a Mexican Air Force helicopter to a hospital in Mazatlán for specialist care. Authorities confirmed that another miner has been found dead and one remains missing as search efforts continue.
Context
The incident highlights the risks faced by miners in Mexico. The country's deadliest mining disaster occurred in February 2006 at the Pasta de Conchos mine in Coahuila, when an explosion killed 65 workers. In August 2022, flooding at the El Pinabete coal mine in Coahuila claimed 10 lives. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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